Michigan Stadium diverts 55 tons of waste from landfill this fall

Updated Nov 29, 2017; Posted Nov 29, 2017

Crews inside Michigan Stadium clean up after a home game this fall. After six home games, UM converted 55.24 tons from the landfill for a diversion rate of 88.7 percent in its first year. That total includes 26.71 tons crews were able to recycle, while another 28.52 tons were made available for composting.(Photo provided l Michigan Athletics)

ANN ARBOR, MI - Nearly 90 percent of the 62.65 tons of waste consumed during football Saturdays this fall at Michigan Stadium were diverted from the landfill thanks to a sustainability effort launched by the university.

In an effort to make Michigan football games zero-waste events, the university launched an effort this fall to divert 90 percent of all waste inside the stadium from the landfill - the industry definition of a zero-waste event.

After six home games, UM converted 55.24 tons from the landfill for a diversion rate of 88.7 percent in its first year. That total includes 26.71 tons crews were able to recycle, while another 28.52 tons were made available for composting.

"I'm really happy with how things have gone in terms of our numbers," said Paul Dunlop, senior facility manager for Michigan Stadium and Crisler Center. "It certainly is costing more, but we think that it's worth it. One of the things we hope comes about as a result of this initiative is a new awareness of composting and recycling. If people see that we can do it at Michigan Stadium, it can be done anywhere."

Making games at Michigan Stadium zero-waste events was part of a broader university-wide sustainability effort to reduce landfill waste by 40 percent below 2006 levels by 2025.

Michigan Athletics partnered with the UM Office of Campus Sustainability and Sodexo, UM's third-party foodservice management company. Compostable items were taken to WeCare Organics LLC in Ann Arbor to be sorted, while all recycling materials were taken to Western Washtenaw Recycling Authority.

Michigan Athletics began a phased approach to zero waste during the 2016 season by sourcing and testing the durability of compostable products and packaging, and refining post-game cleanup operations to properly separate waste streams.

New bins with around 400 signs showing examples of compostable and recyclable products were added around the stadium. Fans are encouraged to place items in the correct bin to avoid contaminating the recycling and composting streams. Landfill bins are no longer available on the concourse but remain in the restrooms and back-of-house areas.

Overall, making home games at Michigan Stadium zero-waste events has resulted in a cost increase of about $100,000, Dunlop said. Half of that total is from creating recyclable packaging, while another $50,000 is dedicated to operations and logistics.

"We have a significant increase in labor costs on Sunday morning to clean up the bow (of the stadium)," Dunlop said. "Instead of just pushing everything into the middle, they have to go through and carefully separate all of the different strains so that we're not contaminating things."

Overall, the Wolverines' game against in-state rival Michigan State saw the most waste collected at 13.21 tons, with an 87.43 percent diversion rate. UM's game against Rutgers saw surpass the 90 percent diversion rate, with 90.19 percent of the 8.87 tons collected either recycled or composted.